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DoctorKitten
, April 19, 2009
(view all comments by DoctorKitten)
In Gigi, Gilberte (the titular Gigi) is brought up be her like mother and Mamita, Madame Alvarez, women who do not marry, in the Belle Epoque. Gigi and her beloved Tonton--Gaston Lachaille, a very rich, very eligible young man--play cards and enjoy one another's company, until Tonton's status and Gigi's reputation as a young woman come into play.
In The Cat, a seductive yet despised young wife and her husband's beloved Russian Blue battle for his affections.
Two tremendously short novellas, stories really, depicting the complexity of human relationships. I was fascinated by Gigi as a child, after seeing a series of classic movies on Disney under the heading "Thank Heaven for Little Girls"--disturbing, really. And I cannot for the life of me recall the fourth film, the other two besides Gigi being Lili and Silk Stockings--and the life of grandes horizontales still fascinates, leading me to Nana as an adult. I still recall Aunt Alicia lecturing about emeralds and ortolons. Ultimately, Gigi chooses what kind of life she will lead, regardless of expectation--or even her own desires.
The Cat is entirely different, presenting a heroine at once repulsive in the hero's eyes, yet understandable to my own, as she battles his attachment to childhood via his beloved cat Saha. It will end up being the story you puzzle over longest, deciding to whom your loyalty belongs: the beguiling Saha, the loyal Alain, or the strident Camille.Eventually, we all must surrender our childhood.
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